Which Nebraska Teams Surprised Us at NLQ #3?

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We're all in favor of a few midseason surprises.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Northern Lights Qualifier tends to bring out some unlikely championship contenders. Some of the wildest Great Plains Region bid triumphs have come through this annual Minneapolis event. We also know how unpredictable the 15s and 16s can be, so NLQ's third weekend added an extra layer of drama.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Don't be surprised to see a long list of surprise teams from last weekend's action. This tournament transformed perspectives and brought new names into the spotlight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Premier Nebraska 16 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sure, this is the defending NLQ champion.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Premier Nebraska 16 Black looks a bit different than their 15s iteration from 2024. The team had an early-season adjustment period to adapt to these changes, and that adaptability led to another fruitful stay in Minneapolis--one spot short of 16 USA bid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have a wealth of 16 Black standouts to discuss after last weekend. NLQ showcased the roster's grit, mental toughness, and ability to thrive in tense situations. Future qualifiers should bring those traits back into focus.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Final act of the tournament.<a href="https://twitter.com/premier16black?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@premier16black</a> battles Northern Lights for the last 16 USA bid. <a href="https://t.co/JdLeoZgXne">pic.twitter.com/JdLeoZgXne</a></p> <p>&mdash; Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1906445747765297657?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p> </p> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Club Legacy 16 Bravo</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Club Legacy has a stellar group of athletes in the 16s age group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We've hyped up Club Legacy 16 Alpha's outstanding results at recent events, but there's another 16s force to be reckoned with in this gym. Club Legacy 16 Bravo put its stamp on NLQ with a Gold breakthrough in the 16 American division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16 Bravo's "clutch factor" was on display with a trio of three-set wins during the team's 4-0 start. Club Legacy added another tiebreaker triumph against MAVS 816 in the challenge match to escalate the drama even further. This has become Club Legacy's strongest age group during the midseason grind.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Elite 16 Ohana</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Nebraska Elite 16 Ohana has been on a roll this weekend and joins 16 Surge in the 16 American bracket. <a href="https://t.co/ukbDXSGJ4Q">pic.twitter.com/ukbDXSGJ4Q</a></p> <p>&mdash; Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1906333087778119730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p> </p> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 16 American division is well-represented in this feature.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nebraska Elite 16 Ohana rolled through pool play to clinch a spot in the final 16 American bracket. Following a 5-0 start, 16 Ohana won a dramatic three-set contest against Mizuno Northern Lights to reach Sunday's Gold group. This bracket was loaded with Great Plains challengers, so we're seeing the state's 16s depth expand every week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Nebraska Elite 16 Surge</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let's complete the Nebraska Elite duo.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seeing two teams from the same club compete in the same division is an anomaly, but Nebraska Elite made it work. 16 Surge joined their 16 Ohana counterparts in the 16 American bracket--and even went one step further in the single-elimination phase.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>16 Surge rode a wave of ups and downs to put itself in bid contention. The team had a hot 3-0 start but was relegated to a 1-2 record in Round 2. Fortunately, 16 Surge had the tiebreaker advantage and pushed into the challenge round. A late-night triumph over TCVA got the job done.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sunday started with a win over Club MVP to put 16 Surge into the division's top eight. Nebraska Elite is ready to add a heap of 2027s to our next watch list.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Titanium</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We were thrilled to see [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] 15 Titanium embrace the challenge of competing in 15 Open. Earning the highest placement among Nebraska teams in the division is a good start.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>15 Titanium scratched and clawed its way to a Round 2 appearance after winning a triple tiebreaker against Spirit and Iowa United. [program_tooltip program_id='428717' first='Nebraska' last='ONE'] also capped the weekend with back-to-back Sunday victories to win the Bronze bracket. We have the Show Me Qualifier circled as another venue where this up-and-coming squad could succeed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 15 Black</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Perhaps we should've seen this one coming.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last=''] 15 Black had a stellar showing when we last saw the team compete at the Midwest Power League. We were unsure how it would translate to the national stage, but 15 Black has passed a major test.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We documented this team's 6-0 start through two rounds of pool play. 15 Black's Gold bracket appearance extended an exceptional club-wide performance in Minneapolis, including 15 Elite's runner-up finish to earn a bid in the second weekend of NLQ.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">6-0!<a href="https://twitter.com/[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@[program_tooltip program_id='428743' first='VCNebraska' last='']</a> 15 Black earns a gritty three-set win over Houston Skyline to wrap up two perfect rounds of pool play.</p> <p>17-15 in the tiebreaker. <a href="https://t.co/lTCFsvrIVs">pic.twitter.com/lTCFsvrIVs</a></p> <p>&mdash; Austin Kingsley (@KingsleyATK) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingsleyATK/status/1906067439827226814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote> <p> </p>